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Inside Look at Subway Signal Failures

Another morning of train pain for thousands of subway riders, and once again, signal issues were to blame. What will it take to fix all of those aging signals? Andrew Siff reports. (Published Thursday, June 22, 2017)

What to Know

The zip ties are safe and used on 7 train cars as the MTA awaits specially engineered brackets, a spokeswoman told DNAInfo

The MTA has been under fire amid a series of problems culminating with the derailment of an A train in Harlem earlier this week

On Thursday, Gov. Cuomo declared an MTA state of emergency and ordered a full capital needs assessment within 60 days

A photo of zip ties on the wheel of a 7 train at Willets Point prompted a flurry of concerned tweets to the MTA as straphangers wondered if, amid a seemingly epic transit meltdown, officials are literally using plastic to hold the system together.

Twitter user @MsJaya_B posted the photo Wednesday morning. She says she was on a Manhattan-bound subway when the Main Street-bound train pulled into the station.

The MTA has been under fire amid a series of problems -- from power outages that have stranded riders in air condition-less cars for hours to signal issues and mechanical breakdowns -- that culminated in the A train derailment in Harlem earlier this week. Nearly three dozen people were hurt in the derailment, none of them seriously. The MTA has said human error -- an improperly secured replacement rail -- was to blame and suspended two supervisors without pay pending the outcome of the investigation.

Stuck Subway Riders Desperately Try to Break Out

Desperate straphangers stuck for nearly an hour in a powerless subway car with no air conditioning tried to break out of an F train at Manhattan's Broadway-Lafayette station Monday evening. Lori Bordonaro reports.

Delay-weary straphangers endured yet another day of crippling service changes Tuesday, with at least one rider so desperate to escape delays he tried walking subway tracks to get to work on time, witnesses said. Once again, signal problems appeared to be the primary cause of the nightmare. Andrew Siff reports.